Microsoft’s latest ‘AI for Good’ cohort aims to make the world a better place
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Companies that aim to transform how we recycle, make websites more accessible for people who are Deaf, and give the public a greater say in how their towns change have joined a Microsoft programme that uses AI to tackle challenges in society.
The latest AI for Good cohort, based in London, contains 12 start-ups from across Britain who will be given access to Microsoft technology, resources and expertise that will help them develop and launch their products and solutions.
The programme is run by Microsoft and the Social Tech Trust. It is open to entrepreneurs from the UK who are developing a solution that focuses on one of four areas – AI for Earth, AI for Accessibility, AI for Humanitarian Action and AI for Cultural Heritage. By helping grow innovative ideas into established companies, Microsoft and the Social Tech Trust hope to create a more sustainable and accessible world.
Recycleye is among the new companies that joined the cohort. Its founder, Victor Dewulf, aims to revolutionise the recycling process – from companies creating materials, to people putting packaging in bins, through to sorting it at large waste facilities. It does this by using cameras to identify recyclable objects and what they are made of, enabling them to be automatically sorted at a waste plant.
Signly is another new entrant into the cohort. The company has developed an internet browser extension that offers sign language for web pages.
For many Deaf people who communicate using British Sign Language (BSL), they consider it their first language, ahead of English. However, a lack of provisioning for deaf people online, combined with a shortage of interpreters, means BSL users are often excluded from essential content.
On sites where the content owner has enabled Signly, Deaf people who want a particular web page signed can request it through the browser extension. Signly will use qualified translators to create a signed version and use Microsoft Azure cloud to upload it for use online.
Meanwhile, Hello Lamp Post lets people have playful conversations with street objects such as statues, benches and post boxes via text messages or popular conversation apps. The service is launched in conjunction with local authorities, developers and construction companies, and Chief Executive and co-founder Tiernan Mines sees it as a great way to get vital feedback on issues in the community.
For example, texting a special number on a sculpture in a park may start a conversation that includes the question: “what would you change about this area?” The person may reply “more cycle parking in the city centre”, which would be directly fed back to the council.
The other companies in the cohort are:
Akari – helps companies use technology to support employees as individuals
Baobab – provides legal tools that track cases, manage teams and ensure privacy and security
BeneTalk – a digital coach and tracker for fluency therapy
Chatterbox – online language learning for professionals and organisations
Good Boost – transforms public swimming pools into therapy spaces for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions
